Control Design – June 2024

Robots are changing system design

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Measurement in progress

Sensor switching

Process malfunction

cover story

Emerging technology

Robots are changing system design Evan Gonnerman, Concept Systems, and Karim ElKatcha, Osaro

vision systems

Machine-vision system integration basics

How to use image sensors, cameras, light sources, computers and software

David L. Dechow, Machine Vision Source

Industrial taping system standardized

control Zac Cutt, Innovative Automation

CEO

Endeavor

COLUMNS

Tobey

Charles

Paul

Chief

Chief

Mike

mbacidore@endeavorb2b.com

managing editor

Anna Townshend atownshend@endeavorb2b.com

digital editor

Madison Ratcliff mratcliff@endeavorb2b.com

contributing editor Rick Rice rcrice.us@gmail.com

contributing editor

Joey Stubbs

contributing editor Tobey Strauch tobeylstrauch@gmail.com

contributing editor Charles Palmer charles101143@gmail.com

columnist Jeremy Pollard jpollard@tsuonline.com

design/production

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Rita Fitzgerald rfitzgerald@endeavorb2b.com ad services manager Jennifer George jgeorge@endeavorb2b.com art director

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EZTouch was introduced in 2001. C-more used the same footprint as EZTouch and violated many of the EZAutomation/AVG copyrights as found by a jury. EZ5 fits into the same panel cutout as CM5. Programming is quite similar and as an incentive to move away from HMIs made in China, to HMIs made in America, EZAutomation is offering FREE program conversion from CM5 or EA9 to EZ5 for orders exceeding $4000.

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Mike Bacidore editor in chief mbacidore@endeavorb2b.com

CSIA celebrates 30 years

UNDER THE DAZZLING ILLUMINATION of Reunion Tower, a record 536 individuals attended CSIA Exchange in Dallas. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) meeting and conference.

“Keep plugging in,” advised Karen Griffin, chair of the CSIA board of directors and vice president of controls and automation at Hargrove Controls + Automation, a system integrator in Mobile, Alabama. Griffin also earned the 2024 Charlie Bergman “Remember Me” Award, which was given to her during the awards dinner. She noted a recent conversation with Pat Miller, chairman of Engineered Energy Solutions in Warren, New Jersey, and a founding member of CSIA, who’d said when the group was formed, it was $50 to be part of the organization.

In 2023, CSIA rolled out a new game plan around strategic pillars and renamed the conference. Griffin recognized Jose Rivera for his leadership and financial stewardship. “When Jose became CEO of CSIA, this organization was not in great financial shape,” she acknowledged. “Jose has worked to change that, and that’s what makes us able to offer these things.”

popularity have created new situations that challenge our current approach to certification.”

Most system integrators share a common tale of conception and evolution, assured Rivera. “The people who started CSIA were engineers,” he explained. “They looked at the possibility of this becoming their lives. It was the essence of the system integrator, especially at the very beginning—the entrepreneurial nature.”

The wealth of information already collected in CSIA’s libraries will give Schaefer a leg up.

A smart engineer decides to start a system-integrator company, noted Rivera. The smart engineer then sells the idea to partners and begins to recruit. The company is set up and starts operations. When the business takes off, management seems harder than anticipated. Then a plateau is reached. “Even though they’re very busy, the company is stuck in a rut,” he said. “They need to start developing procedures. This is where CSIA and the network comes into play with the best practices and certification.” The company wants to make a breakthrough but doesn’t know how.

Rivera recognized CSIA certified members and confirmed a healthy financial position has allowed CSIA to continue to invest in key areas, such as a new website, modernization of the CSIA certification program and enhancements to the professional-development program, centered around the addition of Eric Schaefer as the new director of best practices and professional development for CSIA. For more than 25 years, Schaefer was an integral part of Stone Technologies, including the period after its acquisition in 2021 by Gray Solutions

“There is now a remote audit option for new certifications and recertifications,” explained Rivera. “Systemintegrator company M&A and post-pandemic remote-work

The wealth of information already collected in CSIA’s libraries will give Schaefer a leg up on creating professional-development programs to fit the needs of association members’ employees. “There’s so much content on there now,” he said. “How do we curate that and manage the library? We plan to narrow down the options, so you can have playlists for all the roles in your companies. There are 13,000 titles in our business library. We’ll be developing playlists for certain roles—going through CSIA webinars and content that hasn’t been touched in years.”

Four specific courses—sales for engineers; general onboarding; project management; and configuration management—will include CSIA-authored content for curation.

“We’re going to curate the initial learning plans and pilot this with a kick-off in May,” said Schaefer, who has plans for a complete rollout in the November timeframe.

Jeremy Pollard jpollard@tsuonline.com

The impact of IEC 61499 on input/output

THE DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM has been in use forever in the process world. In the machine-builder world, most of the control systems have been localized over the years. With the expansion of control and production platforms—edge computing and remote human-machine-interface (HMI) access—and robot integration, the need to take the I/O structure to the operation has been amplified by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and intelligent devices.

The 1970s and 1980s brought these devices called programmable logic controllers (PLCs) into the automation world. They initially only had local I/O, which meant that all the wiring needed to terminate back at the controller.

There are many I/O vendors who design and manufacture I/O systems for various protocols. MurrElektronik is one vendor whose products were being used in a Rockwell project that I was involved in. It used EtherNet/IP, and the project had three panels, all of which had I/O blocks. Drives are now commonplace and viewed as networked I/O nodes.

An I/O chassis could be mounted outside the main PLC panel located strategically on the machine.

In the 1990s, Rockwell Automation demonstrated a concept called highly distributed control, in which the control for the process was embedded in the device. Photo-eyes, proximity switches and solenoids all had networked intelligence to sort the colored balls circulating in an enclosed track. There was no central brain, just the code running in each device.

The concept of distributed control wasn’t new. Most PLCs had the ability to interface with remote I/O. This just meant that an I/O chassis could be mounted outside the main PLC panel located strategically on the machine to reduce installation costs.

Software tools were added to aid in troubleshooting the system since all data is not physically in front of the troubleshooter. The usage of remote I/O in chassis led to creative diagnostic software being written to aid in unscheduled downtime recovery. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)/HMI systems became the window into the world of distributed I/O.

I chaired an ISA tech session back in the 1990s in which Rich Ryan was one of the presenters. He is currently a software architect for Rockwell Automation. He and I had a conversation after the session, and he predicted that automation vendors will focus on software and processors.

DeviceNet started the ball rolling, but EtherCAT, Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP really created our current options.

IEC 61499 in its infancy was not widely understood. It is gaining some traction and mirrors Rockwell’s highly distributed control, where the devices have the ability to have context dependencies. Each device that is 61499-compliant has the ability to be programmed using function blocks. With networking capabilities, autonomous intelligent devices can be linked together to form a control strategy in a process/machine distributed method.

Hardware/chip costs are at a very reasonable level. Form factors are small. Cell communication and Wi-Fi are possible on any device. Energy harvesting may play a role in powering these remote devices.

Using distributed I/O allows the machine designer so many options for connectivity. Remote I/O, networked I/O and wireless I/O are all available to the engineer configuring the control strategy.

The software component is now most important. Documentation is a must. When a machine shows up on the plant floor, the maintenance department needs to know how the system is constructed in order to understand the process of troubleshooting.

In my honest opinion, training is essential. The knowledge base of plant-floor electricians has to expand to include PLC programming software, HMI screen presentations, wiring schedules, network topology, node addressing and probably a whole bunch more. Software diagnostics embedded in the control can help, if done properly. Having the flexibility of placing I/O where you need it is not new, but the options now are tenfold of what they were.

JEREMY POLLARD, CET, has been writing about technology and software issues for many years. Pollard has been involved in control system programming and training for more than 25 years.

technology trends

Rick Rice contributing editor rcrice.us@gmail.com

Programmers vs. programming languages

IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATION from college in Ontario, Canada, my first job was with an integrator that is now one of the largest in North America. They were newly formed when I joined, and, while I cannot take credit for what they are today, that early practical introduction to the world of automation literally changed my life.

Like most interns and post-graduates, I started out doing computer-aided drafting (CAD) for the three engineers that I worked with. It was an excellent way to learn best practices for design while perfecting CAD skills that I use to this day.

Feeding my youthful thirst for knowledge, I soon found myself working with Omron processors, the little brick variety, to come up with programs for a company just down the highway that built heat exchangers for, primarily, the automotive industry. This was a great way to get into programming and test instrumentation. Back in those days, the Omron was programmed by a handheld unit that worked with Boolean logic entered in mnemonic code. Using LD (load), AND, OR, OUT were how we made programs.

any of you remember the 1742 MAC. It happened long before Apple came up with its own Mac—the Macintosh computer.

Over the next five years, I gained experience with the SLC-500, PLC-2, PLC-3 and PLC-5, each one a generation newer in processing capabilities. As everyone can attest, life happens, and, with it, comes new opportunities. I moved on to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and continued to expand my experiences with the SLC-500 and PLC-5 platforms. By this time, we were approaching a new century, and it came with a significant shift in the type of processor that I would work with.

How to control a packaging machine is not as simple as it once was.

In 1997, the ControlLogix family of processors from AllenBradley was brought to life. The most significant change in this new series was a switch from memory-based to tag-based programming.

Following closely on that first programming experience, my boss sent me out on a job at an onion pickling plant that produced the little version that one might find in a cocktail. I used to eat them right out of the bottle. The process was to harvest the onions mechanically and run them through various stations that would first wash and then chop the tops and roots off the onion ball and then send them through further processing that would result in onions in a pickling brine in bottles.

This was my first introduction to the Allen-Bradley family of processors. Now some of you that are familiar with AllenBradley might be thinking of a 1747-series SLC product or the 1771-series PLC-2 or PLC-5. Well, this product preceded those venerable products. This particular product was based on the 1741-series I/O system and the controller was a 1742-LP120A modular automation controller (MAC). Like the Omron controllers, this also used mnemonic code but had a rudimentary disk operating system (DOS) software that permitted some very basic ladder logic editing. I wonder if

In memory-based tags, the base memory of the processor was broken up into files. Each programmable logic controller (PLC) had pre-defined files, as well as user-defined files. The two base files are Output and Input. Additional files of Status, Binary, Timer, Counter, Control, Integer and Float complete the base files. Each file is an array of the data type specified by the file type. User-defined files can be any of the base file types. Files come with a pre-defined starter size and can be grown or shrunk to suit the actual use of the array of tags for each data time. Memory files have a finite size, however. All of the data files are added together to make up the total size of data memory in the processor. A file can only have one data type, and all of the elements in that file must be of that same data type, as well.

In a tag-based system, the data types can have custom names to make using them more user friendly. For instance the Binary file B3 can be described simply as Binary and the reference to B3:3/1 (file 3 of type binary, word 3, bit 1) would be referenced in the tag-based system as Binary[3].1 since Binary replaces the B3 in the memory-based system.

Unlike the memory-based system, a tag-based system can have multiple data types in the same tag. For instance, a tag defined as Motor can have an array of binary bits, an array of integer words, a string element, an array of timers

technology trends

and an array of counters, all defined in the same base tag called Motor. These are commonly called user-defined tags (UDTs). This can simplify the tag structure of a program by creating a base UDT and then defining multiple instances of that same UDT. In the program we might have Motor104, Motor 113 and Motor 126 that are all of UDT-type Motor.

This evolution of the PLC clearly helps with organization and definitions, but it all gives a nod to the future of PLCs. Traditionally, we have seen the evolution from mnemonic code—Boolean gate logic—to graphic-based ladder diagram (LD), but this also evolved into function block (FB) and structured text code. Function blocks are custom blocks of code, much like a user-defined tag, that can be used in multiple instances to perform the same logic but with different tags/ devices. A single function block could be defined to match up with the UDT to control the three motors but re-using the same generic code for all three. Structured text is a

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more robust version of mnemonic code, resembling Basic or C- programming languages.

This has all been leading is to a point where information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) meet. Structured text has been the common way to program in the IT world for decades. Structured programming languages like Basic, ForTran, C, C+, C++, HTML, Python and many more use tag-based memory and are the basic building block of every software application.

Home computers and smart phones all use code that starts out as structured text. The OT side of things—the PLC of yesterday and the programmable automation controller (PAC) of today—has used the ladder, function block and structured text forms of programming for the same years. These approaches to programming are coming together.

The PAC takes into consideration that the ladder-logic programmer may soon be a thing of the past. I hate to think

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of myself as obsolete, but I don’t really see many following in the traditional path. What we do have, however, are many people coming out of college and tech schools with great skills in software application development. HTML and Python programmers, to name just two, are highly in demand. The switch to processors in automation that accommodate programming in these languages is a natural evolution that certainly helps to leverage the popular OT application developers coming out of educational institutes to fill a steady need for software developers in automation.

The question of how to control a packaging machine is not as simple as it once was. While my initial response to the question would have been based solely on my own journey through automation and control, the real answer is whatever makes sense to the person writing the code. PLCs and PACs sending commands to devices on a network might work for those of us who came into this in the 1980s, but it might be

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just as right to start with a servo amplifier architecture where there is a built-in processor using a structured text programming language. Each is good and will give an excellent result but is entirely based on the skillset of the programmer.

The great thing about automation is there is more than one way to get the correct outcome, and, in many cases, taking an alternative path can yield unexpected and fortunate results. With the recent trend to combine control and safety into the same hardware platform, there is even more to be gained by embracing the newer technologies. So, how do you control a packaging machine? Any way you want. And you might even learn something new by trying something a little outside your comfort zone.

RICK RICE is a controls engineer at Crest Foods (www.crestfoods.com), a dry-foods manufacturing and packaging company in Ashton, Illinois.

component considerations

Tobey Strauch contributing editor tobeylstrauch@gmail.com

Hydraulic actuators evolve with robots

WHAT’S AT THE BASE of motion technologies? Actuation. Research and development with humanoid robots have encouraged new actuator and servo valve designs in hydraulics and improvements in other actuators.

Three main types of actuators are on the market: electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic. Which actuator is best for replication of a human body? Most likely, hydraulic actuators or a hybrid of hydraulic and electrical. Why? Because of the energy storage in a small location and the dynamics. Hydraulics can push more loads than electrical.

Humanoid robots are the driving force for creating an electric-hydraulic hybrid, but the applications are real for commercial industrial equipment and grippers. Hydraulic-driven actuators are required for powerful movements in severe environments. This has driven the development of miniature hydraulics to include different ideas with equipment configuration. Compact electro-hydraulic actuators may have a valve unit, variable capacity hydraulic pump, pressure tank, servo motor and hydraulic cylinder in one housing.

tion of cylinder circumference and those kinds of parameter are more important in smaller systems because there is less margin for error. Some of these smaller components have required new machining designs.

The evolution of robots has helped hydraulic actuator servo valves and power units to evolve.

Miniature hydraulics provide high-output density while minimizing size and weight, are shock resistant, have environmental resistance to high heats and provide multiple degrees of freedom, while reducing sliding friction. These are all attributes that make miniature hydraulics ideal components for machine building and robot design. Electronic versions may be quieter and require less maintenance, but the tradeoff may be in response. Applications will dictate the needs of component choices.

For instance, the first Atlas humanoid robot, designed by Boston Dynamics to go into harsh environments, weighed in at 300 lb. The new Atlas, introduced in 2024 has retired its hydraulics for electrical actuation and has reduced its weight. Electric motor actuation has been replacing hydraulics since the 1980s, but, for some reason, hydraulic actuation has not gone away.

There are small bore hydraulic cylinders ranging from 2 to 4 mm. Hydraulic efficiency modules (HEMs) are seen in robotics and other applications where a smaller hydraulic power unit and some combined components might be needed and take up less space. For instance, damping and brakes may require added HEMs and direct drives to provide enough fluid in the system for when it’s needed to respond. The discussion with humanoid development has come down to whether the electric actuator gives the same force output as an hydraulic one.

The application is for limited space and precise movement, which applies to humanoids and grippers, or any other application requiring small spaces and precision movement. One challenge to this is creating miniature components with deviations for outer-diameter and innerdiameter orifices and seals. The idea is that the smaller hydraulics produce more performance per pound than larger heavy systems. This means understanding component limitations such as piston-seal contact area being a func-

What is the takeaway? The evolution of robots has helped hydraulic actuator servo valves and power units to evolve. Thus, the choices for machine applications are greater now than they were in pre-humanoid development.

This is an example of how research affects industrial applications. It also has improved motion technologies and vision technologies in industry, as well as grippers. These improvements have been with electrical and hydraulic actuation components.

Industrial applications requiring high grip forces may use hydraulic grippers to achieve pump strengths up to 2,000 psi. Cobots are not generally a hydraulic gripper application. However, if you need to lift weights up to 500 kg, which is approximately 1,100 lb, then an hydraulic gripper and a safety boundary would be a possible solution for your application needs.

Tobey Strauch is an independent principal industrial controls engineer.

Charles Palmer contributing editor

Industrial applications for position sensors

POSITION SENSORS ARE widely utilized in manufacturing processes to enhance precision, automate tasks and ensure the accurate positioning of components and tools.

Machine tool positioning: In machine-tool applications, linear encoders, rotary encoders and laser displacement sensors are typically found to be the most reliable and accurate. Their application is relatively simple, in that position sensors on machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes and computer numerical control (CNC) machines provide feedback on the position and movement of cutting tools or workpieces. This feedback is crucial for precision machining operations.

Robotics and automated assembly: Robots are becoming highly sought after as they can provide programmable skills in this age of major skill shortages. They comprise encoders, potentiometers and vision systems. These sensors provide feedback on the position and orientation of robotic joints and end effectors, ensuring accurate and repeatable movements during pick-and-place, welding or assembly.

Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs): Wherever actual sizing or measurements and precise coordinates or locations are needed, linear encoders or laser displacement sensors are typically employed.

Die and mold positioning: In these applications, linear encoders and proximity sensors are installed most commonly.

Automated welding: Encoders and vision systems provide feedback on the position of welding torches and workpieces.

Electronics manufacturing: Electronic components and systems employ position sensors for pick-and-place machines, circuit board assembly and other precision manufacturing processes.

In industrial quality control, vision systems and laser sensors are used to improve quality.

Conveyor systems: Many industries employ conveyor systems covering a wide range of types with their respective applications. Typically, these sensors are either photoelectric sensors or ultrasonic sensors. They provide information to detect the presence, position or orientation of products on the conveyor belt.

Quality control and inspection: In industrial quality control, vision systems and laser sensors are used to improve quality by precisely measuring the position and dimensions of manufactured components.

Material handling and palletizing: Position sensors play a major role in material handling and palletizing operations by detecting the position of items on pallets or conveyor belts.

Stamping and pressing operations: Linear encoders and proximity sensors control the position of the press and the alignment of the material being processed.

Packaging machinery: Typically, these applications call for the use of photoelectric sensors and ultrasonic sensors, where the presence and positioning of products on the production line is required.

Displacement monitoring: To measure actual position of an item, relative to the requirement, linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) are commonly used to measure linear displacement. In addition, potentiometers can measure the angular or linear displacement of structural elements. They are often used in conjunction with other instruments to provide accurate position feedback. Where the rotation of components, such as beams or joints, is to be ascertained, rotary encoders are normally installed.

Vibration analysis: Excess vibration will shorten the life of virtually all pumps, motors and gearboxes. The installation of accelerometers provides this information. However, these sensors do not merely measure vibration, but can also determine the actual position; this is achieved by integrating the acceleration signal over time. This is particularly useful for studying the dynamic behavior and vibrations of structures.

Load and force monitoring: Finally, when it comes to the measurement of applied loads and the forces on a particular piece of equipment, load cells are the natural choice. In addition to measuring loads directly, load cells can be used to infer displacements or deformations by analyzing the applied force and the material properties of the structure.

Charles Palmer is a process control specialist and lecturer at Charles Palmer Consulting (CPC). Contact him at charles101143@gmail.com.

LAUTON RUSHFORD

Product Marketing Manager—Flow, Endress+Hauser

How to obtain accurate, reliable flowmeter measurements

Reliable flow measurement is critical in processes that can’t be interrupted or where pressure loss is unacceptable. Ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeters can help. Depending on requirements, Proline Prosonic Flow W 400 or P 500 can be mounted noninvasively on the outside of the pipe, need only a minimum of inlet runs and are unaffected by aggressive liquids. Maintenance-free coupling pads ensure a stable measurement over the entire life cycle of the flowmeter.

High safety standards, transparent insights, flexibility, reliable measurements and long-term stable operation with zero maintenance have become important criteria for users.

Q: Selecting a flowmeter often depends on flow rate range and desired level of accuracy. Any tips for obtaining accurate measurements across the operating spectrum and defining an acceptable margin of error for the control system?

A: Normally, this is driven by a specific application. In theory, every customer wants the most accurate process data, in the quickest time, and to utilize the information as a control point; however, in practice, this becomes much more difficult as costs associated to adding a “control point” within a process have increased due to many external factors. Our clamp-on portfolio—Prosonic P 500 and W 400—is aimed at applications where cutting piping is too costly, process compatibility can be an issue or need a movable process measuring point. By creating the ability to install the process on the pipe while utilizing the transit time technology we can ensure accurate measurement, up to +/- 1%, without any shutdown of process. Often, we are contacted about something called “usable turndown.” Usable turndown refers to the full range of flow rates that a meter can handle while main -

taining full accuracy. The larger this range is, the less customers need to worry about operating over a wide range of flow rates.

Q: Flowmeters can be designed for specific pipe diameters and materials to ensure proper installation and accurate readings. What sort of guidelines or recommendations can you provide for proper performance?

A: In the context of our Prosonic clamp-on portfolio, we aim to remove as many restrictive factors as possible for adding a measuring point to process piping and give more insight into what the process is telling us. With clamp-on technology by itself, we eliminate the need to cut pipe and greatly reduce the cost of installation for the measuring point. Temperature is also a restrictive factor associated to clamp-on technology due to the materials of construction and coupling pads/ gel that allow the transducers to grip the pipe effectively. Endress+Hauser has tried to decrease that concern by introducing a high temperature sensor. This high temperature sensor uses a fully stainless-steel transducer and uses metallic coupling foils to ensure optimal connection to the pipe.

Q: What type of compatibility requirements are there for a flowmeter’s output signal—say, analog, digital, pulse—to the control system?

A: This is typically determined by the capabilities of the meter and the capabilities of the control systems. Customers have a variety of PLC/ distributed control systems throughout the plant. Now Endress+Hauser Prosonic P 500 and W 400 have a few different options depending on the requirements of the customer. 4-20 mA outputs remain the most favorable outputs from the device to the PLC; however, pulse, frequency,

switch and relay are also available with these devices. In terms of digital communications available on the Prosonic P 500 and W 400, these devices offer Modbus RS485 and HART.

Q: What types of installation constraints—space or accessibility for maintenance—should be considered when mounting a flowmeter?

A: Many clamp-on manufacturers require long straight pipe run requirements due to the nature of the technology and to establish a uniform flow profile. Endress+Hauser has developed a technology called FlowDC. FlowDC allows the use of two sensor sets to decrease that straight pipe run requirement down to two pipe diameters upstream and two pipe diameters downstream (Figure 1). This not only creates the opportunity for new measurement points to be installed in existing plants, but also decreases the piping costs on new plant builds.

Q: Flowmeters must be verified at regular intervals, as per quality regulations, such as ISO 9001. What sort of device-verification methods can be used that don’t require interruption?

A: Heartbeat Technology is our built-in diagnostics/verification/ monitoring tool that operates in the background of the measurement system. Heartbeat verification is a way for our device to perform a functional check of the device by using redundant references within the device as well as the “fingerprint” of the device back to how the device performed when calibrated at the factory. This allows for Heartbeat verification to be traceable back to its factory NIST calibration and comply with the ISO

9001 regulation. Similarly, Endress+Hauser has had this feature tested by TUV, a third-party internationally recognized laboratory, to prove that what we state is accurate. Verification and calibration are often used interchangeably in the industry. For Endress+Hauser, these two words mean different things. Calibrations are metrological performance assessments of the device in which calibration factors and zero-point values are examined under a fine-toothed comb to a total test coverage of ~99%. Verifications are internal/in-situ function checks of the device whereby using the fingerprint of the device and its redundant references we can give a very high total test coverage—greater than 94%— of the device without having to perform a true calibration.

Q: What type of functional-safety considerations should be made for flowmeter reliability, especially in hazardous areas?

A: Typically, the type of hazardous area determines the availability and reliability of the product. Applications in hazardous areas are defined by the likelihood of a dangerous atmosphere surrounding a meter. In the United States, there are two main classifications of hazardous areas—Class I, Div. 1, or Class I, Div. 2. The class refers to the type of hazard—gas for Class I, dust for Class II and vapors for Class III. Divisions are referring to the likelihood that those hazards are present. Division 1 is always present; Division 2 could be present if an upset condition were to happen. This often affects the types of instrumentation that can be utilized in these areas. There are requirements around the type of protection methods from an electrical aspect that also affect the way a meter must be wired up. Endress+Hauser has segmented their Prosonic P 500 and W 400 for two hazardous areas based around their main industries of focus. The Prosonic P 500 has the capabilities as well as an optional XP-rated housing for installation in Class I, Div. 1; whereas the W 400 is designed for installation in Class I, Div. 2. Another consideration for functional safety and installation in safety systems is the SIL rating of the software and hardware of the products. SIL refers to the safety integrity level (SIL) of a safety system. The higher the SIL rating, customers can reduce risk within their plant. Endress+Hauser has developed our devices with SIL 3 (software) and SIL 2 (hardware). These ratings are extremely important for maintaining safety and decreasing risk throughout the system.

For more information, visit www.us.endress.com.

A clamp-on flowmeter enables the process to be installed on the pipe.

Robots are changing system design

ROBOTS ARE FAST becoming a dedicated component in manufacturing systems.

These two stories of engaging new robotic applications set the stage for the future of automated systems.

A shift to configurable modular robotics brings higher ROI, lower time to production and a more reliable technical backbone

By Evan Gonnerman, Concept Systems

Factory automation and industrial robotics have traditionally been developed as pinpoint solutions to specific applications. While highly performant and reliable, these systems are often difficult to support, intolerant of faults and nearly impossible to modify.

While the system-integration industry has embraced standard interfaces at the component level, it is rare to find standardized system or factory-level interfaces that are robust and reliable. By implementing an architecture that utilizes modularity as a foundational element, it is possible to deploy a system that does not compromise on performance or reliability while at the same time is dramatically more efficient and lower risk in the development stage.

Central to this modular approach is the robotic motion platform. This element of the system acts both as a functional block and as a connection to peripherals. The specific implementation of that motion platform can be abstract. A

six-axis industrial arm, automated guided vehicle (AGV) and humanoid robot all can perform relatively similar functions, depending on the requirements, and can be controlled through common interfaces. Other modules at a similar level of abstraction to the motion platform could include:

• perception including machine vision, traditional sensing technology or data from a digital twin

• user interfaces, such as a human-machine interface (HMI) or pushbuttons, to allow for collaboration and external control

• tooling that enables the robot to physically interact with its environment

• safety that properly constrains the system from posing hazards to personnel

• cell control and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) that receives and reacts to work-cell and environmental/factory-level data

• operational technology (OT)/ manufacturing executive system (MES)/analytics platforms capable of recording and communicating historical data

• recipe management that allows for off-line creation and analysis of system behavior

• off-line and real-time motion planning based on system state and sensor feedback

• artificial-intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) algorithms.

All too often, the development of robotics tangles peripherals together to create a complex infrastructure that is rigid with highly restrictive limitations and capabilities. By separating peripherals to act as modules that tie together through known interfaces, robotics can truly be transformed into dynamic tools to change manufacturing and logistics environments (Figure 1).

There should be obvious indicators of a system developed with modularity as a foundation. When followed, these tenets ensure that the system will behave reliably and in close alignment with the design requirements.

Figure 1: By separating peripherals to act as modules that tie together through known interfaces, robotics can truly be transformed into dynamic tools to change manufacturing and logistics environments.

Distinct functionality: Modules must be created to have a distinct function that, when called upon, will perform that task with reliability and repeatability. A core principle of modular design theory is the basis of trust in a module to perform its requisite task such that additional layers can be built without changing the base operation.

Interface design: In order for modules to interact and form a whole system, interfaces must be defined to guide interoperability. Modularity depends on strict adherence to the interface definition and trust in the completeness of that definition. Designing a modular system should begin by understanding and defining how modules will interact and the expectation of performance of those interactions.

Standard definition: A standard definition for what a module can and cannot be is required to properly validate and verify a system’s functionality. The definition allows for core functions, interfaces and complexity limits to be maintained during development and across teams. With standard definitions in place, development of modules and systems comprised of those modules becomes a reality at scale.

Platform approach: A platform approach allows for defining the context in which modules will interact and perform their functions. The platform defines the basis for which modules will lead operations and which modules will respond to lower-level commands (Figure 2).

Modularity, as it relates to robotics, can be implemented to separate a specific application from the core functions of the robotic system. For example, a palletizing robot may

be responsible for taking cases of finished product from a machine and stacking them in a pattern on a pallet. By deconstructing the application from the system, it is possible to break a palletizing robot into the following modules: a robot for moving cases, a tool for handling cases and a motion profile to define stack patterns.

In a completely different-looking automation solution that involves a robot tending a CNC machine by picking parts from a fixture and placing them within the machine, deconstruction of modules can be done. The breakdown results in a robot moving machined parts, a tool for handling parts and a motion profile to define the method of machine interaction.

By looking at these examples, among many others, a trend can be formed that demonstrates any robotic system can be broken into modules that uniquely constrain the scope of functions that are performed (Figure 3).

The benefits of modularity in robotics are immense. Similar module structures allow for a common look and feel for training and maintenance of a system. This technological ecosystem of physical and software design reduces the requisite skill level to optimize machine performance, as well as scale new automation equipment into new processes. Because a modularized robot design has been taken, analytics and data patterns can be standardized across a plant floor, regardless of the application being performed. This allows for a production-level system design and has the ability to identify bottlenecks and utilize artificial intelligence to improve existing processes specific to a production space.

Modularity in design provides a basis for development that can be iterated. Instead of building an application from the ground up, modules can be combined to form a basis of functionality, and process-specific design considerations can be implemented to provide value on a case-by-case basis. The result is a faster time to production of automated systems with an allowance for higher-quality systems due to heavily tested and vetted module functions and operations.

On a practical level, modularity in robotics disassociates the implementation from the function. A tool that can handle a tote by an industrial six-axis arm can be deployed on a humanoid system. The interface for a peripheral conveyance section on an end-of-line palletizer can be deployed on a mobile robotic platform for interfacing with end-of-line finished pallets. A palletizing system that has hard guarding with safety hazard mitigations of light curtains and door interlocks can retain the identical modular functions while transferring the safety mitigation to be a collaborative robot

Figure 2: The platform defines the basis for which modules will lead operations and which modules will respond to lower-level commands.

capable of working together with operators. By designing a physical and software architecture that is modular in nature, the scalability, maintainability and dynamic capability of the system is dramatically increased (Figure 4).

As the world transitions to the mass adoption of artificial intelligence in business practices and realizes efficiencies in areas that previously relied heavily on skilled labor, standardized data sets in automation environments have never been more necessary. Modularity in design of robotic systems brings the ability to scale production environ-

ments, continuously improve existing processes through data-driven and AI/ML-assisted optimization and standardize technical skill requirements associated with operating and maintaining machinery.

A shift to configurable modular robotics from custom automation, brings value in the form of higher return on investment (ROI), lowered time to production for new installations and a higher level of quality due to the technical backbone established through well-tested automation modules in a system.

Finally, modularity in robotics allows for development of applications in robotics that carry complexity beyond the ROI justification, including welding, assembly and painting. Modularity has been a pillar in the rise of software-as-aservice (SaaS) offerings in the past decade due to reducing the barrier to entry for developers who have identified a need in the market and have the open-source tools to address that problem in the form of software libraries or modules. By taking this approach, modular robotic design can be the cornerstone for democratizing robotics.

Evan Gonnerman is portfolio manager at Concept Systems, a CSIA-certified system integrator headquartered in Albany, Oregon. Contact him at egonnerman@conceptsystemsinc.com.

Figure 3: Any robotic system can be broken into modules that uniquely constrain the scope of functions that are performed.

Figure 4: By designing a physical and software architecture that is modular in nature, the scalability, maintainability and dynamic capability of the system is dramatically increased.

Combined robotics, vision, AI, sensors and lighting boost throughput and reduce shipment errors

By Karim ElKatcha, Osaro

A significant growth area in the global eyewear market is the directto-consumer model, where advances in technology have made it possible to offer high-quality eyeglasses tailored to a customer’s specific needs and preferences, shipped within five business days.

Zenni, an online eyeglass retailer, sells 6 million pairs annually in the United States. Now in its 20th year, the online-only eyewear retailer has surpassed 50 million pairs of glasses sold.

Zenni packages and ships about 3 million orders per year from its Novato warehouse in California. For years, workers have manually placed each pair of glasses into a clamshell case and then inserted the case into a tabletop mechanical bagging machine that generates a labeled polybag, ready for shipment (Figure 1). This process involved five manual steps and was prone to error. If just one item was scanned out of sync with the product and ended up in the wrong polybag, it could result in several unhappy customers.

Zenni was by no means new to automation. Its manufacturing operation is completely automated. But, as is typical in logistics operations, the task of automating the work of a dexterous human just seemed too complicated. In 2022, the team at Osaro met the Zenni operations leaders to size up the problem and make recommendations to boost throughput and reduce the messed-up order (MUO) rate.

After evaluating Zenni’s existing manual process, the workflow was defined:

1. Identify an eyeglass case from among several hundred identical cases in the shipping container.

2. Grasp and pick one case without obscuring the barcode.

3. Scan the barcode through the translucent case to identify the order number.

4. Send that information to the warehouse management software to trigger printing the order’s polybag.

5. Place the case in the chute of the bagging machine.

6. Verify the case was successfully deposited into the polybag.

The functional systems involved are:

• a six-axis robotic arm to pick up each case and deposit it into a polybag

• computer-vision and artificial-intelligence (AI) systems to control the robot and pick up each case without obscuring the order barcode

• sensors and lighting to scan the barcode inside each eyeglass case

• a custom end-effector that uses proprietary technology (Figure 2). For the final delivered system, the team worked with a cast of different suppliers that provided a variety of components including cameras, lights, sensors, scanners and the bagging system.

Figure 1: For years, workers have manually placed each pair of glasses into a clamshell case and then inserted the case into a tabletop mechanical bagging machine that generates a labeled polybag, ready for shipment.

Functional parameters

The target was to surpass the existing manual throughput metric of 300 units per hour and eliminate the errors inherent with the manual system. With humans working on the line, the MUO rate was 20 per 100,000 orders.

The first challenge was to avoid obscuring the barcode during grasp. To ensure the camera could see the barcode, it had to be ensured that the robot grasped the case without obscuring the barcode.

Hundreds of eyeglass cases are randomly oriented in a large Gaylord shipping container; typically, the AI software identifies the target object and then calculates a grasp point that optimizes for center of gravity. But, sometimes, the robot’s gripper obscured the barcode.

To locate individual eyeglass cases in the shipping container, a low-cost overhead 3D camera was used to capture a pair of RGB and depth images. From the images the software and machine learning determines the best pick point and approach angle that will result in a successful case pick, taking into account past successful and failed picks and the inherent noise in the RGB and depth information.

Generally, in similar situations, the system is trained to calculate an object’s center of gravity and pick it up accordingly. But here the system needed training to grasp the case while minimizing the possibility of obscuring the barcode. Multiple layered models were trained to ensure the robot consistently selected the optimum grasp point.

Lastly, if the system determined that the barcode was obscured and could not be read, we routed that case into a separate bin for examination and reintroduction into the supply bin.

The second challenge was to read the barcode through the stylish Zenni cases (Figure 3). Each customer’s Zenni eyeglass order is presented in a shiny translucent blue plastic case

that sports opaque Zenni branding.

The reflective and semi-opaque properties of the blue cases frequently prevented the barcode scanner from reading the barcode.

To ensure the scanner could resolve the barcode, we experimented with numerous combinations of light intensities, wavelengths, and scanners, finally arriving at a specially tuned illumination.

Next, we experimented with different case designs and barcode sizes to ensure the scanner could consistently capture the barcode.

Underpinning these optimizations was the need to balance performance and speed against cycle time and cell cost—the need to spin the object so that the barcode scanner could successfully read the barcode, while at the same time minimizing the hardware costs of lighting and cameras.

The third challenge was to ensure a successful placement into the autobagger. With the eyeglass case now correctly identified and its label ready for printing, the robot must now position the case on the chute that channels the case into the autobagger, where a pre-labelled polybag awaits it.

Generally, how an object will behave when dropped onto a sloped surface varies enormously and is hard to predict; this step required careful orientation of the case before releasing it to ensure it slid smoothly into the autobagger. When we got this wrong, the case would get stuck on the chute, causing a blockage.

Due to the numerous variables at play, simulating this entire operation as a digital twin proved impractical.

Instead, we had to work it out through experimentation, using trial and error to systematically tune the orientation of the case. This involved object modeling, so we could consistently ascertain the multi-axis alignment of each eyeglass case in relation to the chute.

After successfully picking up each case, the system scanned it from different angles to understand its orientation.

As the system positioned the case for drop onto the chute, we optimized its orientation above the chute. The system was trained to position each case with its longest axis aligned with the downward axis of the chute.

We also implemented a series of light beams and sensors so the system could detect blockages on the chute and receive confirmation that each case, along with its paperwork, had been successfully deposited into its uniquely labeled polybag, ready for shipment.

Project results

The robotics system has streamlined what was formerly a five-step process to just two steps. The result? A reduction in errors, approaching close to zero.

The final production system has demonstrated a 50% throughput increase and enables two people working with the robot to perform work that previously required three

Figure 2: A custom end-effector that uses proprietary technology.

Figure 3: One challenge was to read the barcode through the stylish Zenni cases.

Those that used to spend their workdays picking up eyeglass cases and putting them in bags are now monitoring the robots. It’s much less tedious work and offers them new opportunities to acquire technical skills and expand their career horizons.

Karim ElKatcha is vice-president of hardware at San Francisco-based Osaro. He oversees the design and engineering of robotics systems that accelerate the delivery of its piece-picking robotics. Before joining Osaro, ElKatcha was vice president of hardware product development and mechanical engineering at Forme, where he collaborated with Yves Béhar on the company’s home gym equipment. He also worked at two of Silicon Valley’s engineering design firms, Osterhout Design Group and Moto Development Group, which was acquired by Cisco, where his work was centered on the confluence of optical technologies and advanced hardware design.

people. With robots handling a repetitive task, we were able to cut the number of steps needed to process a pair of eyeglasses for shipping from five steps to two steps.

Each robotic system can pick, scan, bag and label up to 410 eyeglasses per hour. The average pace can hover closer to 350 per hour when downtime to replenish bags or maintain the system is factored in, but the system’s machine learning is also expected to continuously improve performance over time.

The new robotics system has also reduced the MUO rate from 20 per 100,000 orders to just 2.5 per 100,000 orders. Zenni’s overall increase in productivity was due not only to fast, consistent throughput by the robots; it now takes fewer people to process shipments, which means Zenni can assign team members to other tasks such as unpacking boxes or processing returns (Figure 4).

The robots enable Zenni to cope when seasonal surges spike to as many as 450,000 units in a single month. They don’t need breaks and can work 24x7. And it’s much easier for Zenni to recruit temporary workers when needed because it is much easier to train temps on the robots than the manual process.

Teammates who work in the Zenni facility like it, too. “Managing the robot is easier and better than stuffing packages,” says Minjie Hu, who just completed training as a robot operator. “Learning new skills is better.”

Interested? Get your free sample now: With the new distribution box, centrally routed cables can be distributed 360° in all desired directions.

Figure 4: Zenni’s overall increase in productivity was due not only to fast, consistent throughput by the robots; it now takes fewer people to process shipments, which means Zenni can assign team members to other tasks such as unpacking boxes or processing returns.

Machine-vision system integration basics

How to use image sensors, cameras, light sources, computers and software

by David L. Dechow, Machine Vision Source

MACHINE-VISION TECHNOLOGY and its integration may not be well understood by many. Online, in-process, automated imaging is found in varying industries where machine-vision components perform tasks such as defect detection, measurement, assembly verification, robot guidance, optical character recognition and validation, flaw detection and code reading. Machine-vision components have evolved and are constantly improving.

A machine vision system is a collection of components that acquire an image upon demand, and that can be configured or programmed to perform extensive analysis of the image to extract useful data about the object being inspected. These components include image sensors, cameras, smart cameras, optics and lenses, light sources, computers and software. The image itself may be full color or even might contain 3D or spectral data, but most applications are successfully executed with a standard 2D gray-scale image, which is processed more quickly and often at higher resolution.

Machine-vision systems interface easily with other automation components via discrete I/O signals, Ethernet and other common bus-level communication schemes. For certain applications, a machine-vision system can control the entire imaging and analysis process as a standalone operation without external communication. However, one unquestionable value of machine vision in an automation sys-

tem is its ability to collect and archive discrete and statistical data about a process, providing the information that can help improve production.

In the analysis of each image, machine vision uses algorithms or tools on pixel-level data. Some of the common algorithms that may be incorporated in an application include edge extraction, contrast measurement, blob analysis and pattern matching, although machine-vision processors and/or software libraries offer dozens of analysis and processing tools including artificial-intelligence (AI) or deep-learning tools. These tools range from simple to complex and are usually combined to form a comprehensive inspection process suitable for the target application. It is important to have a good understanding of how each tool works with an image and produces data to select the proper set of algorithms to achieve the desired inspection results. However, there is a much more critical fundamental aspect to machine-vision system design and implementation that impacts every application from specification to integration: imaging.

Many of the components that support machine vision are related to the task of image acquisition, and for good reason. Proper imaging is the most critical aspect of any machine-vision application. The system’s ability to capture a correctly illuminated picture of the object to be inspected, with the object correctly presented to the system, can

be an 80% or greater factor in the success and reliability of the inspection.

In terms of lighting components, the goal of machine-vision illumination design is to highlight objects or features of interest relative to the part’s background or other features. For some applications, this requires a significant level of knowledge, skill and creativity in designing the proper lighting scheme. Lighting and part position though are only the starting point.

All machine-vision imagers produce an image which is made up of small units called pixels. The number of available pixels for a given sensor is the system’s resolution, and resolution dictates how small an object, feature or defect the system can process given a specific overall field of view (FOV). The relative spatial size of a single pixel in each image is designated in millimeters per pixel or inches per pixel. Lenses play an important role, in that the lens determines exactly what FOV the selected sensor will produce and at what working distance.

Advanced users will also find an extensive variety of imaging sensors and camera systems that perform specialized tasks including 3D imaging, spectral imaging and detection of non-visible light in the ultra-violet and infrared ranges. Consider these when standard imaging is not well indicated for a certain application.

A core architecture still defines the makeup of almost any machine vision system. Lighting components are

necessary to ensure the quality and repeatability of images. The remainder of the component technology generically comprises an imaging sensor, a computer and software. These components come in many forms with the most recognizable possibly being a smart camera or smart sensor.

These devices house a complete system in one package and include vision tools that are configurable, usually requiring no code. Closely related to these devices are hybrid systems that separate the computer from the image sensor, which in this case is enclosed and connected to the computer externally. This type of imaging device is generically called a camera or tethered camera. While this type of system can offer in some cases greater flexibility and scalability, configuration is still done through a user interface. At the other end of the architecture spectrum are imaging systems that are completely general purpose, using an industrial or embedded computer tethered with one or more cameras and often mostly custom programs using vision software libraries to perform more complex vision tasks.

With this kind of flexibility and number of options with many possible applications, one important aspect of the implementation of machine vision must be emphasized: integration. System integration for a machinevision project is the process where significant value is added to components to create a complete inspection system or automation cell ready for use in an industrial environment. To be specific, one definition of integration is combining parts so they work together, forming a whole. Successful integration for an automation project involving machine vision requires not

only significant technology-specific skills, but also competency in a variety of engineering areas like mechanical engineering, controls engineering and computer science.

In all cases, there are key steps that should be followed to ensure a welldesigned and implemented machinevision system.

Best practices for machine-vision system integration include:

• Application needs and requirements: Analyze the needs of the existing operation, process or automation and gather all the details relevant to the targeted application without consideration of the machine vision technology. Consider what value will be provided. Describe the parts thoroughly and identify variations and special characteristics. Examine the entire production process and commercial considerations.

• Project specification or requirements specification: Identify function and operations—inspections, guidance measurements—that are to be executed by the system along with all the related performance metrics. Finally, detail the technologies that will enable the proposed system.

• Critical-path components: The machine-vision component rarely is just a placeholder in an automation system, but unfortunately it is sometimes treated as such. In virtually all systems, machine vision usually is the critical path component that, if it fails to perform as needed in the system, might thwart the overall operation of the entire project. Design the machine-vision technology first and then the remainder of the system around those critical components.

• Integration or project plan and organized task list: There are several

good software tools available to help schedule tasks and manage projects. Use one to keep the project on track, but be sure to also address the details of the tasks.

• Installation—refine, not design, online: While there are occasions where some imaging, process or program development must be done after online installation, this should be the exception rather than the norm. The most efficient and successful projects are complete, tested and validated prior to final installation. If possible, design and install the imaging components— camera and lighting optics—within the production environment early in the process to gather representative production images for further offline testing and programming before final installation.

• Validation plan: Always use a written validation plan for system acceptance testing. It should outline the functional and operational criteria and metrics that indicate the system is working to specification. Even if the system has been validated prior to installation, repeat validation as the final step online.

David L. Dechow is an engineer, programmer and technologist with expertise in the integration of machine vision, robotics and automation. He has served various companies and was founder, owner and principal engineer for two automation system integration firms. Dechow is a recipient of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) Automated Imaging Achievement Award and is a member of A3 Imaging Technology Strategy Board. Contact him at david. dechow@mvsource.com.

PHOTO: ASHARKYU / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

RoboTape reduces size, downtime, risk

Industrial taping system standardized on PC-based control

by Zac Cutt, Innovative Automation

INNOVATIVE AUTOMATION, A custom machine builder and system integrator headquartered in Barrie, Ontario, developed the RoboTape platform, leveraging robotics and flexible controls technology to deliver a scalable tape-dispensing system suitable for everything from consumer goods to automotive parts manufacturing (Figure 1).

“Innovative Automation started in 1989 with three founding partners and grew over the years by providing custom automation integration services, primarily to Tier 1 automotive manufacturers,” says Michael Lalonde, co-owner and president of both Innovative Automation and RoboTape.

After three decades of success with custom automation, Innovative Automation formed an R&D department to develop standard automation products. “In the past we had built a number of specialized taping systems, and this experience gave us the idea to create a more flexible solution, which eventually became RoboTape,” he says.

When the company moved into a new 82,000-sq-ft facility, it was time to create a standard model of RoboTape. “It was always in our minds, while we were doing the other projects,” explains Lalonde. “Once we moved into our new building in 2017 and had more space and resources, we were in a position to dedicate people full-time to the project.”

Thirty thousand development hours later, the RoboTape business

unit in Newmarket, Ontario, now serves customers globally with several offerings. The base version is available for integration by the end user or with help from a system integrator.

The next step is the stand-alone RoboTape Lite work cell with collaborative robot, which provides a low-cost and quick-to-integrate entrance to automated taping technology. For high-volume production, a RoboTape standard cell is recommended which features an enclosed industrial robot.

This provides an opportunity for the integration of further value-add operations. The RoboTape System for 3M Tape is another option, born through a collaboration with 3M and offering solutions for a variety of attachment tapes.

Any of the systems can be integrated by the user’s preferred integrator, receiving full support or work directly with Innovative Automation. The system suits all sorts of part geometries and adhesive types (Figure 2).

Figure 1: The RoboTape system offers a scalable, automated solution for applying industrial adhesive tapes.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

We have set up a dedicated lab and test cell to run production intent trials with customer adhesives and parts. This testing allows the RoboTape team and the customer to be confident that cycle times and application requirements can be met before committing to a project. This service helps to alleviate any hesitancy to adopting a new technology.

Peeling away common challenges

During the system’s design phase, Innovative Automation engineers identified multiple mechanical and electrical shortcomings of existing options, creating opportunities for innovation.

The main pain points were robot size and maneuverability. Most systems place the tape spool at the end of the robot arm, along with an empty spool to catch the waste liner. This design requires operators to pause production and enter the work cell.

Our main advantage is to keep the material outside of the work cell, so you don’t have any untrained operators entering the safe guarded zone. Instead, RoboTape has built in safeguards so it can operate from outside the work cell. That allows us to use a much larger spool. At a minimum, you’ve got 2-4 hours of operation per spool and at a maximum you can run for a week, depending on the thickness of the material on the spool.

This new remote feeding module is a key to the success. That’s now patent pending worldwide. It also helps with the robot sizing issue and increases system uptime. This is why big automotive clients are latching onto it; it’s currently the only solution that solves the entire problem.

The RoboTape system also catches and chops up the waste liner at the remote feeding module outside of the work cell and away from the robotic arm. This is another advancement to make the system flexible. The intention is the system will work with any robot. It’s usually by the customer’s spec, systems have been integrated to robots from Yaskawa, ABB, Fanuc, Universal Robots and others. A payload of 10 kg or bigger is good but we have done it as low as 7 kg depending on the application.

The design optimizations drove robot selection, Lalonde explains. “We were aiming for the 10-kg robot class, so keeping the applicator tool light and compact was a top priority,” he says. “This allows the tool to work in

tighter areas and to reduce the overall size and cost of the work cell. These are all things our customers have been requesting.”

It wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for RoboTape. A smaller work cell can help free up floor space to take on more work.

Before RoboTape was ready for prime time in tape dispensing, a variety of challenges had to be overcome first. The team had to effectively accommodate a wide range of robots, continuously adapt to new parts for taping processes and gather massive amounts of sensor data for rapid processing. All these demands ultimately led the R&D team to PC-based control, although being able to incorporate the data collection wasn’t a primary initial focus. “That was a benefit of having that capability on the base controller,” explains Lalonde.

It started with our Beckhoff rack, and we kept adding more sensors and IO-Link. We had to add cards three or four times, and the Beckhoff system made it easy. That is a huge benefit in a machine that is evolving. The I/O terminals are small, so we only use about 20 mm of panel space to add eight I/Os. Motor drivers are also on the rack, so if we need another motor, we just add another card.

New automation

In 2020, we created a decision matrix comparing four control system providers. We compared all of the technologies offered, the benefits and the price, and ultimately, we decided that Beckhoff provided the best fit for the RoboTape system (Figure 3). One of the reasons we like Beckhoff is it’s easy to switch cards on the rack. It’s modular in that way.

Figure 2: RoboTape can take on complex geometries using its highly maneuverable and compact application head.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

industrial PCs

And, for data collection, integration into the existing PC-based controller is simplified, says Lalonde.

As newcomers to Beckhoff, the engineering team was unfamiliar but excited to learn. Their day-to-day roles as custom machine builders led to tackling new technologies frequently.

“On the custom machinery side, we are driven by customer specs,” says Lalonde. “At the time we had limited experience, but the team is trained on a lot of different systems and suppliers, so it was a smooth transition for them.”

Innovative Automation worked closely with the sales and support teams at Beckhoff Canada. Regional

Sales Manager Paul Pierre and Application Engineer Jim Fallowfield offered advice and technical assistance on everything from TwinCAT 3 automation software programming to EtherCAT networking (Figure 4). This helped accelerate design, commissioning and operation.

TwinCAT offers an end-to-end engineering and runtime platform for all automation functionality from PLC, safety and motion control all the way up to the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning and simulation. With support for all IEC 61131-3 programming languages and their object-oriented extensions, preloaded or custom function blocks, and computer science standards in Microsoft Visual Studio, engineers can choose the best options based on their skillsets or, better yet, based on each application’s needs.

We use Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 software for programming. It’s integrated into Microsoft Visual Studio and feels similar for anyone who’s worked with CoDeSys. For networking, we actually allow the customer to choose. We offer EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and Profibus. That was a selling feature to our customers.

Sean Robillard, controls department at RoboTape, appreciated this comprehensive software approach. “With a TwinCAT project, we have one folder with files for each PC-based controller,” he explains. “Within that code, we have all safety and I/O, so development of the system can be easily managed. This helps us implement different recipes, which tell the system how much tape to dispense and how quickly.”

A CP6706 economy built-in panel PC offers processing power for the

Figure 3: The team at Innovative Automation made their selection for RoboTape after comparing four automation vendors.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

Figure 4: Regional Sales Manager Paul Pierre and Application Engineer Jim Fallowfield of Beckhoff Canada. (PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

application. RoboTape amped up the standard model with a dual-core Atom processor, 1-second uninterruptible power supply (UPS), 4 GB RAM and 40 GB Cfast card (Figure 5). The controller includes a 7-inch touchscreen for operator interface and is ready for cloud connectivity right out of the box (Figure 6).

“The user can view all their inputs and outputs, toggle cylinders, lights and sensors, and adjust other aspects of the machine,” says Josh Vander Doelen, project manager at RoboTape. “That’s all bundled into the same TwinCAT package, so it speeds up engineering and keeps the HMI design clean.”

The system utilizes the EtherCAT industrial Ethernet system for communication to the robot and other field devices. EtherCAT offers real-time speeds, flexible topology and up to 65,535 nodes on a single network, and it’s also open

to integrating with other protocols. Beckhoff offers I/O hardware for more than 30 industrial protocols, including EtherNet/IP and Profinet, which helps the RoboTape team connect a vast range of robots and third-party devices such as sensors and encoders in customer facilities (Figure 7).

We use IO-Link sensors to gather as much data as possible. We simply add EL6224 IO-Link terminals from Beckhoff to the main I/O segment as we need more sensors. Now we can gather a significant amount of data about the machine and analyze it for actionable insights.

The sensors are quite specialized. Anything we could connect with IO-Link, we did. We were focusing on data collection and how to use that data, so 75-80% of the sensors are connected with IO-Link. The data collection system is still a beta program.

Involving the IT department to transfer and store the data presents challenges. But at some point we have to introduce them for systems operating remotely. If they have an internal server, that’s no issue. Companies already using Ignition are an even easier integration.

Ignition is an integrated software platform for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, developed by Inductive Automation. This software provided the ideal platform for RoboTape’s data collection system. You can graph the ambient temperature against machine temperatures over time for identifying root failures.

Figure 5: The power supply keeps the RoboTape automation system energized.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

Figure 6: The machine control and an intuitive operator interface can be used to pull up recipes and for toggling functions.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

With Ignition, we’re using the data to improve the function of the machine. There are challenges with any data system, like setting up a remote server; there are a lot of concerns with hacking now. We can set up a server locally, as well. We’re figuring it out, it can be different with each customer.

“Sometimes we’re creating systems that could be integrating to their plantwide system already in existence,” a straightforward integration, says Lalonde.

With the TwinSAFE integrated functional safety system, the RoboTape platform can protect plant personnel and equipment. The remote feeding module can enter a safe state when operators open its enclosure. A cutting blade utilized to chop the spent liner and other pinch points contained inside require guarding and protection. TwinSAFE offers safe inputs and outputs that integrators can connect directly to the door of the robot cell, light curtains or floor mats, for example.

TwinSAFE incorporates Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) to communicate over standard networks using a black-channel approach. Safety data can travel over the same EtherCAT network, ensuring the necessary cable redundancy with no hardwiring between safety devices.

Global stick-to-itiveness

With all these technological developments, RoboTape has quickly gone global. RoboTape’s overall goal is to be the global leader in the robotic application of tapes and adhesive products, explains Lalonde. “To do that, our goal is to continue to expand globally and in time expand our product offering. We accommodate different types of tapes and applications. We have the 3M version of the product, but ultimately the baseline product is brand-agnostic with tape,” he says.

In addition to the unique robotic system developed for 3M, Innovative Automation has entered partnerships

with distributors worldwide to handle increased demand for sales and service in other countries. “We’re approaching 100 units in the field,” says Lalonde. “It is mostly Tier 1 automotive suppliers. They’re installed in Japan, the United States, Mexico and Canada.”

Innovative Automation is currently undergoing certification for CE marking in Europe and already has partners ready. “There are some minor tweaks from country to country,” explains Lalonde. “There could be some labeling differences, but we’re looking for it to be 99% the same.”

Ongoing growth continues to impress even the R&D team that created the system.

Our systems average eight hours of runtime before refills, but this can be even greater depending on the material. For instance, one customer processed 14,000 ft of felt on a single spool, so they’re making enough

Figure 7: From integrated safety and standard I/O to bus couplers and network protocols, one comprehensive portfolio covers all bases of communication.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

Figure 8: The RoboTape’s remote feeding system allows operators to change spools without entering the robot cell, eliminating potential hazards. (PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

parts for about 2,000 cars a day and only changing spools once a week (Figure 8). The first RoboTape systems in the field have processed more than 1 million automotive parts with only basic maintenance.

PC-based control from Beckhoff enables the systems to adapt to new products and send data to higher-level systems as needed. RoboTape plans to roll out the optional data collection system to enable users to monitor system data remotely from a customized dashboard.

Our new IoT capabilities can allow us to see which machine modes are activated and for how long. If a system is in service mode for long periods of time, it could indicate it needs maintenance or that a particular operator requires more training to meet uptime goals. We can determine the machine’s overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and test improvements to optimize reliability.

It was vital for Lalonde and the team to select automation technology that was not just on the cutting edge, but also supported worldwide as the company expands.

“That consistent global support and availability are reasons why Beckhoff has proven to be a great choice, and we’re excited to continue working together in the future,” Lalonde says (Figure 9). “Innovative Automation has always been a leader in the industry, and, likewise, Beckhoff is

constantly pushing the envelope with new technologies. That means we can keep reinventing how automation can maximize our customers’ success, no matter how challenging the application.” (Figure 10)

Zac Cutt is research and development group leader at Innovative Automation. Contact him at zcutt@ innovativeautomation.com.

Figure 9: Jim Fallowfield, Beckhoff (back row, from left) with the Innovative Automation team of Josh Vander Doelen, Sean Wilson, Sean Robillard, Quinton Potts, Carter Metcalf, Michael Lalonde (front row, from left), Mike Likernyy, Zac Cutt, John Marinuzzo and Paul Pierre, Beckhoff, stick together at the RoboTape facility in Newmarket, Canada.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

Figure 10: RoboTape doesn’t carry the adhesive tape spool on the end of the robot arm.

(PHOTO COURTESY: BECKHOFF, 2023)

Interface with machinery

HMI capabilities expand equipment applications

Advantech HMI software

Advantech HMINavi is a software program for creating human-machine interfaces. HMINavi an open HMI software that encompasses an HMI runtime engine for HMI operations. Its HMI engineering tool is designed with a userfriendly interface and offers screen objects for HMI project development. The software supports more than 500 PLC industrial communication protocols and can connect to 90% of global PLC devices. The data exchanger function can exchange various types of PLC data. HMINavi is designed for OT and IT integration by using the MQTT uplink communication protocol. Users can transform legacy machinery into intelligent systems, with all critical data and backups handled by cloud services. Advantech / www.advantech.com

KEB America web HMI

KEB’s C6 X1 Web HMI series is available in sizes from 7 inches to 21.5 inches. These panels offer capacitive multitouch screens and various mounting options for integration. With IP67 protection and extended temperature range, they are designed for diverse environments. Simplified connectivity via Power-over-Ethernet enhances installation efficiency. Equipped with a Chromium-based HTML5 browser, they support IIoT edge applications. Accompanied by HELIO, a no-code HMI devel opment tool, interfaces can be created.

KEB America / www.kebamerica.com

B&R Automation power panel

The Power Panel C80 offers the combined advantages of a powerful controller and an operator terminal in a single HMI device. The C80 installation is compatible with B&R Automation panels. Machine builders have full flexibility when using the new panel and can scale their machine

to meet changing performance and cost requirements. Designed with low-installation depth, the C80 multi-touch HMI is suitable for particularly compact machines where space in the control cabinet is limited. Operation without a hard disk and fan can make it low-maintenance.

B&R Industrial Automation / www.br-automation.com

Wago touch panel

Wago has a programming option for its Touch Panel 600 Series. CoDeSys 3.5, a manufacturer-independent automation software, can help to develop control code and visualizations for both simple and complex applications. It’s built-in security, which includes role-based permissions and file encryption, as well as access to popular fieldbuses, such as ModBus TCP Master and Server, Ether net/IP Master and Adapter and EtherCat Master, are designed to make this soft ware user-friendly.

Wago / www.wago.com

Pepperl+Fuchs aluminum enclosure

For indoor and outdoor applications that require extended temperature ranges of -20 to +50 °C, the marine-grade aluminum enclosure of the VisuNet FLX series is designed to work. The housing stands for optimal heat dissipation and high resistance. Additional sun shields can be attached to the sides, top edge and rear as required. They also serve as protection against rain and other environmental conditions. With these enhancements, the VisuNet FLX series defies harsh environmental conditions and can also be used outdoors.

Pepperl+Fuchs / www.pepperl-fuchs.com

Delta Electronics HMI

Delta Electronics’ HMI product, the DOP-100 model, is CEand UL-certified to ensure compliance with international safety standards and regulations. The DOP-100 HMI by Delta Electronics is a human-machine interface designed to streamline industrial processes and enhance productivity. It comes in categories of basic, standard and advanced. Featuring Cortex-A8 (800 MHz) processors for basic and standard models, and dual core Cortex-A7 1Ghz processor for the advanced models, the DOP-100 Series employs 16-bit or 24-bit color LCD screens with high brightness and contrast. Equipped with the HMI programming software DIAScreen and a built-in Lua editor, the DOP100 Series offers customization and management. With communication capabilities and functions, it is designed to enhance machine efficiency.

Delta Electronics / www.deltaww.com

Fuji Electric MoniTouch

The MoniTouch V10 joins the MoniTouch V9, TechnoShot and X1 series of HMI products available from Fuji Electric. The MoniTouch V10 Series is designed to offer the highspeed processing of a quad-core CPU, allowing for stable operation and communication on high-load screens, an advanced storage device (eMMC) to reduce startup/ transfer time and manhours. The panel cutout size and functions are designed to be fully compatible with existing V series.

Fuji Electric / americas.fujielectric.com

AutomationDirect CM5 panel

AutomationDirect ‘s CM5 HMI series is designed to offer lower cost, high-performance HMIs in sizes from 4 inches to 22 inches. These HMIs have a 1.6 GHz processor in the larger units (10 inches and above), 43 Mbytes of memory, and are designed to provide much better trending, extra data storage, faster communication, and improved file types

including jpegs. The CM5 panels come with a host of communication ports for plug-and-play connections with industrial networks. All CM5 panels have serial and Ethernet ports and several supported protocols including Modbus, EtherNet/IP and the lightweight MQTT(S) protocol used in many machine-to-machine (M2M) and IIoT applications. The 10-inch and larger models feature an additional Ethernet port, allowing them to act as a data bridge between two separate networks.

AutomationDirect / www.automationdirect.com

MultiComp Pro

The MultiComp Pro MP011742 is a 15-inch HMI that comes with a 1920 x 1080 pixels clear TFT display. It comes with a Cortex A7 1.2GHz processor and offers USB, COM, Ethernet and optional 4G/Wi-Fi Module I/O port options. It sets its benchmark in storage with 64 GB flash memory, 512 MB.

Newark / www.newark.com

Unitronics UniStream TA32 PLC

The UniStream TA32 controller is specifically designed for precision process control. It offers an onboard I/O configuration and a feature set that caters to diverse project needs, making this PLC a natural choice for applications like water treatment, boilers and HVAC. The onboard I/O setup includes six analog inputs, two temperature inputs and three analog outputs. This expanded analog I/O capability is designed to allow users to connect a wider range of devices and sensors. Multi-function UniStream controllers support a vast range of automation applications. Recipes and data logging are designed to enable effective process control, while technical staff can be alerted to potential problems via SMS or email, and can then intervene via secure remote connections.

Unitronics / www.unitronicsplc.com

Siemens Unified Basic Panel

Siemens’ Unified Basic Panels include integrated web client. Available from 4 inches to 12 inches, the hardware offers fast visualization. The system limits have been increased compared to the previous generation. This enables the implementation of significantly larger applications than before on a panel system. Each Unified Basic Panel offers an integrated web client. This allows remote access for operation and monitoring. Unified Basic Panels contain open-source software. They also include the ProfiNet interface and the configurable WinCC Unified Basic V18 Update 3.

Siemens / www.siemens.com

VTScada SCADA software

Designed to be a refreshingly intuitive platform for creating industrial monitoring and control applications that you can trust and use with ease, VTScada SCADA software is used by a variety of industries around the world for critical applications of every size. VTScada / www.vtscada.com

Emerson PACSystems IPC 2010

dustrial version of Linux, and including serial and Ethernet connectivity, the IPC 2010 can be used as a communications gateway in a variety of topologies, and simultaneously or separately as an edge computing device. Users can implement the IPC 2010 as a flexible protocol converter—and for many other computing functions—in many IIoT, edge, OT/ IT convergence, HMI visualization, SCADA connectivity, and digital transformation roles.

Emerson / www.emerson.com

IDEC combined PLC+HMI

The FT2J Series PLC+HMI includes a 7-inch multi-touch display, with an integrated controller and expandable I/O. IDEC‘s SmartAXIS touch family includes the FT2J Series combined PLC+HMI. An all-in-one form factor combines built-in full function controller features and functions, both onboard and expandable I/O, and a 7-inch touchscreen display. Because the PLC and HMI are internally connected, require only one power supply and share the same network connection, installation is simplified. The FT2J is ready to use and communicate right out of the box, and end users perform configuration with an intuitive integrated development environment for both PLC and HMI functions.

IDEC / www.idec.com

Pro-face ET6000 Entry Level Series

Pre-loaded with Movicon software and PACEdge IIoT platform, the Emerson IPC 2010 is designed to deliver high-performance computing for industrial edge data visualization applications. The PACSystems IPC 2010 Compact Industrial PC (IPC) is a rugged industrial computer designed to handle a wide range of machine and discrete part manufacturing automation applications. The IPC 2010 pre-loads the PACEdge industrial edge platform and elements of Movicon. NExT SCADA software, helping users run applications quickly using browser-based configuration. Provisions are included for keeping the software platform current and passively maintained. Running an in-

The Pro-face ET6000 Entry Level Series is a line of industrial touchscreen interfaces that are designed to provide functionality for applications that require basic control and monitoring capabilities. The ET6000 series includes display sizes 7 inches and 10 inches, both featuring high-resolution touchscreens and customizable graphical interfaces. They are also equipped with a range of connectivity options, such as Ethernet, USB and serial ports, to enable integration with other automation systems. ET6000s support various communication protocols, including Modbus and Eth-

ernet/IP. The ET6000 series is suitable for applications such as small machines, conveyor systems and building automation, where basic control and monitoring capabilities are required. These HMIs are also designed to be durable and reliable, providing long-lasting performance.

Pro-face / www.profaceamerica.com

IMO iView

IMO’s iView is a range of advanced human-machine interface (HMI) screens available in a high-resolution display from a 4.3-inch to a 15-inch color TFT touchscreen. With communication features, the iView allows for remote connectivity via a VNC server or Android App HMI In Hand and IDCS remote functions. The iView has integrated Ethernet protocols—Modbus TCP/ IP, BACnet/IP, Pro net/IP—and Serial protocols including Modbus RTU, BACnet and Siemens MPI. Galco / www.galco.com

Maple Advanced HMI Series

The Maple Advanced HMI Series is designed to take advantage of progressive features of Maple’s free programming software. With enhanced graphics, enhanced security and remote access, these HMIs are designed to provide all the components needed to create a unique level of supervisory data acquisition and control. Offering CID2 certi ed HMIs are designed to allow operators to work safely in potentially dangerous environments. / us.rs-online.com

GE Digital iFIX HMI/SCADA

GE Digital’s iFIX HMI/SCADA is designed to increase efciency by enabling connected workers and centralized deployment. Web-based UI is designed to improve transparency, decision making and ef ciency by extending HMI to consume analytics and business application data, unifying OT/IT visualization. The no-code/low-code environment and centralized deployment are designed to speed time to value. The MQTT bridge is designed to simplify connectivity and communication with smart IoT sensors and devices to sup-

port data collection and operations optimization. Part of the Pro cy software portfolio, iFIX 2023 can increase ef ciency and accelerate development through native HTML5 HMI, MQTT, centralized deployment and common portfolio con guration.

GE Digital / www.ge.com/digital

Mitsubishi Electric Automation GT25 Wide HMI

The GT25 Wide HMI is an interface that monitors and controls machine components with a graphical touchscreen that connects to equipment such as PLCs, VFDs and servos. Information is displayed on high-resolution screens: wide video graphics array (WVGA) on 7-inch displays and wide extended graphics array (WXGA) on 10-inch or 12-inch displays. The GT25 Wide HMI features remote connectivity through the GOT Mobile option, providing remote access via web server functionality for production monitoring and system operation. It is designed to monitor controllers using web browsers on devices such as tablets, phones and personal computers, allowing machine operators, plant managers and maintenance personnel to monitor equipment status at any time from anywhere. The GT25 Wide HMI is equipped with two Ethernet ports to physically separate the information system network in the of ce from the control system network at the production site.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation / us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en/

Schneider Harmony ST6 HMI displays

Schneider’s Harmony ST6 human-machine interface (HMI) panel screens are available in three models: basic HMI, basic web HMI and basic modular HMI. The basic HMI is designed to improve users’ operation experience through an intuitive design powered by EcoStruxure Operator Terminal Expert software. It ranges from 4 inches to 15 inches in size. The basic web HMI is a special version with a pre-installed browser. DigiKey / www.digikey.com

real answers

Acceptable types of e-stop devices

A CONTROL DESIGN reader writes: What are the acceptable forms of an e-stop button? We typically see the mushroom-head push button, but are other manual actuators acceptable under the appropriate standards? What about color—red and yellow? Are remote or touchscreen e-stops feasible and compliant?

Answers

Work with operators

Emergency stop (e-stop) buttons are significant safety devices used as part of the human-machine interface (HMI) to quickly shut down equipment in emergency situations. The acceptable forms can vary depending on the specific standards and regulations applicable to the industry or location, so it is critical to review American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ Robotics Industries Association (RIA) R15.06, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 13850, to ensure compliance with applicable requirements and alignment with best practices.

It’s equally important to work with the operators who will be interfacing with the equipment to understand access points and types of actuators that will provide quick and efficient use in emergency situations.

From my experience, there are some general principles and common practices:

1. The mushroom-head push button is the most common form of e-stop button. They are easily identifiable and can be operated quickly in an emergency.

2. Other manual actuators may include pull switches or other types of push buttons with distinctive shapes or features that make them suitable for emergency-stop applications.

3. Red is the most widely accepted color for e-stop buttons because it is highly visible and universally recognized as a signal for stopping or indicating an emergency. Red means stop; yellow means caution. In the event of an emergency, we want to stop the equipment, not take caution or slow it down.

4. Touchscreen e-stops may be technically feasible, but their compliance with safety standards may vary depending on factors such as reliability, visibility and ease of operation. Prior to implementing, failure rates and false

activations must be considered, as well as ensuring that operators can quickly and easily access the emergencystop function when needed.

5. Routine testing of any type of e-stop must be conducted to ensure functionality. It’s important to consider the type of e-stop you are using to determine the frequency of testing.

6. Similar to personal protective equipment (PPE), e-stops are the last line of defense to prevent an injury. Other safeguards and controls, such as guarding and light curtains, must work in conjunction with the e-stop to provide safe and reliable equipment function.

7. It’s crucial to consider the specific application, environment and operational requirements to choose the most suitable type of e-stop button for the situation. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

REBECCA STEPHENSON director of risk / Gray Solutions

Red signals stop

According to ISO 13850:2015 and ANSI B11.19-2019, emergency-stop devices (e-stops) are used to reduce risk, but they do not serve as a substitute for safeguarding measures. As stated in ANSI B11.19, “Since an individual must manually actuate an emergency-stop device to initiate the stop command, usually in reaction to an event or hazardous situation, it neither detects nor prevents exposure to a hazard.” E-stops are intended to avert arising or existing hazards to persons or damage to machinery or work in progress.

Emergency-stop devices shall be designed to be easily identified and actuated by a single human action.

However, identification of the actuator or the background cannot be labelled with text or symbols. The actuator of the e-stop device shall be colored red, and, if a background exists behind the actuator, the background shall be colored yellow when possible.

An emergency-stop device may exist in one of several forms, according to ANSI B11.19-2019, CSA Z432:23 and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 79-2024:

• P ushbutton-operated devices or mushroom-head type that are easily activated by the palm of a hand. Actuator/ button must be red and the background must be yellow.

• Rope or cable pull-operated devices where the actuator is

not run through conduit or other tubing, and the device will detect a slack condition or a break of the rope or cable. Actuator/cable must be red; if flags or markers are used along the rope, they must be red and yellow.

• Foot-operated devices without a protective cover, are applicable where other solutions are not. Actuator/pedal must be red; background should be yellow where feasible. These devices should be mounted in a fixed position directly at access level.

• Rod-operated devices are designed to be actuated by the hand of an individual. Actuator/rod must be red; background should be yellow where feasible.

• Push-bar-operated devices are designed to be actuated by the body of an individual. Actuator/bar must be red; background should be yellow where feasible.

E-stops shall be in the following areas:

• at each operator control station, unless a risk assessment deems this not necessary

• at other locations such as entrance and exit locations, as determined by the risk assessment

• at locations where intervention to the machinery is expected—loading/unloading.

An interface on a touchscreen or human-machine interface (HMI) is not permitted to be used as an e-stop device.

International Electrical Commission (IEC) 60947-5-1 states estops require a direct opening action of an electrical contact. This cannot be provided through a touchscreen. In addition, an e-stop must always be accessible and active during all modes of operation, and a touchscreen interface cannot fulfill this requirement if it loses power or is reprogrammed.

When considering implementation of wireless e-stops, several aspects must be considered within IEC 602041:2016. The cableless control system (CCS) shall have functionality and response time suitable for the application based on the risk assessment.

The CCS shall be designed as follows:

• It shall be automatically monitored, either continuously or at suitable intervals and the status of this ability shall be clearly indicated—through an indication light/visual display indication.

• If the communication signal is degraded, a warning to the operator shall be provided before the ability of the CCS to control a machine is lost.

• An automatic stop of the machine shall be initiated when the ability of the CCS to a machine is lost for a time interval determined by the risk assessment.

• Wireless e-stops should have published performance ratings. It is important to note that ISO 13850 now requires Performance Level c (PLc) at minimum for e-stop circuits. This is only applicable to new equipment after the date of publication.

SARAH STARSIAK

market product manager, industrial safety / Sick CHRIS SORANNO, FS EXP, CFSAE-T manager of international safety standards / Sick CHRISTIAN BIDNER, FS ENG (TÜV RHEINLAND) #12036/16 regional account manager, automotive / Sick

Palm of your hand

For many years, the standard associated with emergency stops was ISO 13850:2006, which specified that one form of an emergency-stop device may be a “mushroom-type push button.” However, a more recent revision of this standard, ISO 13850:2015, has an expanded definition, which now specifies “push buttons easily activated by the palm of a hand.” Therefore, other forms for e-stop buttons are permissible, so long as they are easily activated by the palm of the hand. The standard has also allowed wires, ropes, bars, handles and foot pedals without a protective cover.

The latest standard also has direction regarding e-stop device colors, stating that the “actuator of the emergency stop device shall be colored red. As far as a background exists, behind the actuator and as far as it is practicable, the background shall be colored yellow.” Furthermore, there is direction that the e-stop actuator and background should not be labelled with text or symbols to simplify usage so users do not expend time figuring out the markings in an emergency, although there are allowances for some types of markings when necessary.

ISO 13850 states that the e-stop device shall be designed to be operated by the operator or another person, but it doesn’t say anything regarding whether this action must be a direct operation. It is not proper to replace a required e-stop device with a remote operation device or touch panel function; however, a remote function could be used as a supplementary way to trigger the e-stop device. This opens up possibilities for designers to incorporate compliant e-stop devices, which provide required functionality while also enabling additional ways to operate the device, such as using a remote wireless system to operate an e-stop from a distance.

LUIZ SHIDA marketing specialist / IDEC

real answers

Recommended types

Emergency-stop devices or buttons are safety control devices designed to enable workers to swiftly stop machinery or equipment operation during critical situations or an emergency, designed to prevent accidents, injuries or damage to machinery by providing a fast and easily accessible means of shutting down equipment.

E-stops serve as fail-safe control switches. They are used when the machinery’s master switch cannot be accessed in time. The emergency-stop pushbuttons are engineered for rapid response and are wired along the control circuit of the machinery.

E-stop buttons are designed for easy handling and can be operated by hand or by a footswitch on the ground level. The recommended types of e-stop buttons are:

• Mushroom-head pushbutton: This is the most common and widely accepted form. It features a large, mushroomshaped button that is easy to identify and press during emergencies. Its distinctive shape and size make it a widely recognized standard for emergency-stop controls.

• Palm button: Palm buttons are also acceptable forms of e-stop buttons. These buttons require the operator to press them with their palm, ensuring deliberate and immediate action.

• Push-pull: The push-pull emergency button is pushed to lock into position to cut off the power to the machinery and pulled back to reset to its original position.

• Twist to release: This can be pushed to cut off electrical power to the connected industrial machinery. However, it requires twisting the button to reset after activation. This helps prevent accidental reactivation.

• Key release: These buttons are pushed in and locked to cut off the electrical contact. It can be unlocked using a removable key provided with the e-stop.

• Pull cord: Pull-cord e-stop switches are used where the operator may need to stop the machinery from a distance or where hands-free operation is necessary. The emergency-stop command is triggered by pulling on the tensioned pull-wire. Additionally, all these switches incorporate cord-breakage monitoring. If the cord is pulled or breaks, the normally closed (NC) contacts are forcefully opened while the normally open (NO) contacts close. Restoring the pull-cord emergency stop switch requires deliberate resetting action.

• Foot-operated switch: These e-stop switches work as permissive switches in machines and plants where operators

need to maintain balance or control over the equipment. Operators can press down on the foot pedal to stop the machinery, allowing them to maintain control while keeping their hands free for other tasks.

• Wireless e-stop systems: Wireless and remote emergency stop switches provide convenience in operation without physical tethering to the switch. These switches typically feature wireless communication capabilities for remote activation. In emergencies, they can swiftly halt machinery or processes from a distance, enhancing safety and responsiveness in industrial settings.

Regardless of the form, all e-stop buttons should be easily identifiable, readily accessible and marked with universally recognized symbols. They should also prevent accidental activation while enabling quick and decisive action in emergencies. Additionally, they must comply with relevant standards such as American National Standards Institute (ANSI), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

Emergency-stop categories refer to different levels of safety and functionality associated with e-stop systems in industrial settings. The e-stop categories are broken down into three general groups to ensure proper design and implementation of safety measures and are defined by ISO 13850 and International Electrical Commission (IEC) 60204-1 standards:

• Category 0: This category involves immediately removing power to the machinery or equipment without safety monitoring functions. It’s the most basic emergency stop, used only when immediate shutdown is necessary. In this case, the machine may continue to run mechanically, posing a potential danger or risk of damage and injury even after actuation.

• Category 1: In this category, the emergency-stop function is initiated by a single action. The machine is stopped in a controlled way, followed by cutting off the energy supply to the drive elements. For example, heavy loads under high acceleration or deceleration rates require a controlled stop to prevent hazards.

• Category 2: It is a powered stop category that does not remove power from the machine. This category must not be used to switch off in dangerous situations, but it is still a helpful feature.

A risk assessment of the machine must be carried out to determine the correct stop category for an emergency stop and to determine whether an emergency stop is necessary.

The mushroom-head pushbutton is the most commonly observed form of e-stop button. However, other manual actuators are acceptable under the appropriate compliance and standards, such as ANSI B11.19-2010, ISO 13850:2015 and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.212. These include palm buttons, pull cords, foot pedals and paddle buttons, among others listed.

According to ANSI Z535.1-2017 and OSHA 1910.144, an emergency-stop button must be colored red to ensure quick identification in emergency situations. Red signifies danger and is universally recognized as indicating the need for immediate action.

The area surrounding the red mushroom button, background or housing, should be yellow, as per ANSI Z535.42011 and OSHA 1910.144 for improved visibility. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 79 reinforces such yellow enclosures, incorporating a prominent yellow emergencystop label or adding yellow coloring to the stem of the button. The standard specifies that the red/yellow color combination should be reserved exclusively for emergencystop applications.

Wireless e-stops and remote e-stops are feasible and comply with ISO 13849, ISO 13850:2015, ANSI B65.1-2005, IEC 60204-1:2005, and IEC 62745 standards. The wireless e-stop system allows safer access closer to operational activities. In addition to the safety function, it has a handheld transmitter featuring a button and switch that can be freely configured for user-specific control tasks for convenient operation. Graphical representations of emergency-stop buttons—icons—on a human-machine interface (HMI) or flat panel display are not permissible for e-stops operation.

ANKUR TOMAR solutions marketing manager / Newark

immediately around push buttons and disconnect switch actuators used as emergency stop devices shall be colored yellow. The red/yellow color combination shall be reserved exclusively for emergency stop applications.”

Along with the form and color requirements, there are additional regulations for e-stops. These include:

• directly opening an electrical contact

• self-latching in the open state

• requiring manual reset to resume operation.

While a touchscreen e-stop cannot meet these requirements and thus would not be compliant, a remote e-stop that fulfills all the discussed criteria would not only comply but also offer potential advantages. This is particularly relevant in scenarios where mobility around the machinery is necessary, and the observer may not have an e-stop easily accessible.

MIKE DAVIS

product manager industrial electronics / Misumi USA

NFPA 79

In the United States, we can refer to NFPA 79 for what an e-stop device must do and look like. As stated in Chapter 10.7.1, e-stop devices do not have to be buttons; they can also be pull cords, foot-operated switches and push bars, just to name a few examples. NFPA 79—10.7.3 says that the actuators, the part that is interacted with, of e-stop devices, shall be red with an immediate background yellow. In the same section, the shape of e-stop buttons specifically shall be palm or mushroom-head type. Lastly, section 10.7.2 says that e-stop devices shall not be flat switches or graphical representations, meaning that software e-stop, such as from an HMI screen, are not allowed.

Red/yellow exclusively

Emergency-stop buttons are critical devices to ensure safety. Numerous established standards guarantee their effectiveness and visibility. According to IEC 60204, it is imperative for e-stops to be readily identifiable and easily accessible, should an operator detect a machine hazard.

The most common type of e-stop buttons, as specified by ISO 13850, IEC 60204, IEC 60947, and NFPA 79, feature an easy-to-operate mushroom-head, with a red button against a yellow background for enhanced visibility.

NFPA 79 does include other types of actuations such as pull cords and foot-operated controls. It does specify “emergency stop devices shall be colored red. The background

As for remote e-stop devices, these are certainly allowed, provided that they adhere to the requirements outlined in NFPA 79. I won’t go through all of the requirements, but I will list a few important ones:

• The e-stop function shall override all other functions regardless of operation mode.

• Power to the machine actuators—motors, presses—shall be removed as quickly as possible without introducing other hazards.

• Reset of the e-stop device shall not cause the machine/ process to reset.

• More details on emergency stop functions can be found in NFPA 79, chapters 9 and 10.

NOAH GREENE

product specialist—safety / Phoenix Contact USA

Joey Stubbs joey.stubbs@gmail.com

What is the future of x-ray vision?

IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, precision and efficiency are vital. As technology advances, so too do the tools at our disposal. One such tool that has undergone a remarkable evolution is the x-ray vision system. Originally conceived for medical diagnostics by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895, x-ray technology has since found its way into a multitude of applications, particularly in manufacturing processes. From its humble beginnings with x-ray tubes and film to sophisticated electronic systems enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), x-ray vision and analysis systems have given the manufacturing industry a powerful inspection tool for a multitude of purposes.

manufactured components. This rapid feedback loop allows manufacturers to identify and address defects as they occur, minimizing production downtime and reducing the likelihood of defective products reaching consumers. Additionally, by automating the inspection process, AI-driven x-ray vision systems can increase throughput and operational efficiency, ultimately leading to cost savings for manufacturers.

AI algorithms can enhance the speed of analysis of x-ray images.

Advancements in electronics have led to the development of more sophisticated x-ray detectors, replacing film with electronic sensors. These solidstate detectors, such as amorphous silicon or cadmium telluride, revolutionized x-ray imaging by providing higher sensitivity, faster image acquisition and improved image quality that was produced directly to a computer image. This shift from film to electronic detectors marked a significant leap forward in the evolution of x-ray vision systems.

As a complementary technology, the integration of AI has transformed x-ray vision systems into powerful real-time tools for flaw detection and quality control in manufacturing. AI algorithms can analyze x-ray images with incredible speed and accuracy, detecting subtle defects that may elude human inspectors. By leveraging machine learning techniques, these systems can be trained to recognize patterns associated with various types of defects, allowing for automated inspection with minimal human intervention.

One of the key advantages of AI-enhanced x-ray vision systems is their ability to adapt and learn over time. As new data is acquired, the algorithms can continuously refine their understanding of what constitutes a defect, improving their performance with each new iteration. This continuous learning process enables manufacturers to stay ahead of evolving quality standards and production requirements.

AI algorithms can enhance the speed of analysis of x-ray images, enabling real-time or near-real-time inspection of

AI-powered x-ray vision systems have also opened up new possibilities for advanced imaging techniques. For example, computed tomography (CT) imaging, which involves taking multiple x-ray projections from different angles and reconstructing them into a 3D image, can provide detailed insights into the internal structure of complex objects. AI algorithms can aid in the reconstruction process, improving image quality, thus enabling more accurate defect detection and characterization.

Additionally, AI can facilitate the integration of x-ray vision systems with other manufacturing processes, such as robotic assembly or 3D printing. By providing real-time feedback to robotic systems, AI-enhanced x-ray vision systems can ensure precise alignment.

Looking ahead, the evolution of x-ray vision systems in manufacturing is likely to continue unabated. Advancements in AI, coupled with ongoing improvements in x-ray sources and detectors, promise to further enhance the capabilities and versatility of these systems. From detecting minuscule defects in semiconductors to ensuring the structural integrity of aerospace components, AI-driven x-ray vision systems are poised to play an increasingly vital role in modern manufacturing processes. By harnessing the power of AI, manufacturers can achieve unprecedented levels of precision, efficiency and quality control.

Joey Stubbs is a former Navy nuclear technician, holds a BSEE from the University of South Carolina, was a development engineer in the fiber optics industry and is the former head of the EtherCAT Technology group in North America.